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Ever since the attack of the Kyubi, Naruto was shunned as 'Konoha's Demon' when he was born with the Kyubi sealed in him. His life was miserable beyond grief. Time passed by and he has slowly proven himself as its jailer instead of its incarnate. But despite this, love never truly touched the young jinchuuriki's heart until death came over him.

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A/N: I do not own Naruto, Bleach or any other canonical characters. If I did, I wouldn't be here in FF now would I?

Talking
'thinking/flashback'
Kyubbi Talking/Jutsu
'Kyubbi Thinking'

Chapter 6

Forged Resolve

As we look further…

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The large white coated room that stood before the two blonde's and the Kyubi accompanying them, still had its awe inspiring effects upon them as they sat with wide open eyes. For the red maned fox however, it was just like meeting Kami for judgment.

Flashback

The fukutaicho of Minato had just entered the Third Division Headquarters. As he slid the door open, he then unemotionally gave his orders to the family by the small dining table.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this joyous occasion, but the commander has requested you and your son's presence taicho."

Said the blond haired lieutenant as he entered the room of the Namikaze family where they, along with Sarutobi and kyubi were eating together.

It was time to meet their inevitable fate. Naruto then stood up and politely said to the kneeling lieutenant.

"Ok. We're going."

"Arigato. Excuse me."

The blonde leiutenant said as he respectfully bowed and walked away to his further duties.

Both blonde's knew that it could mean a fate worse than death if the commander wished it when Kushina mentioned of him, during their conversations, banishing Minato to clean the entire Sereitei sewer system with a brush because he was late when he had called for him. The blond man had a pale expression as he remembered that day when he was soaked with all the toxic waste from who knows what for an entire month.

Kyubi just laughed at the pathetic look the once mighty hokage gave at such memories.

As the blonde father & son pair marched in the hallways towards the marble carved office of the commander, Naruto just stared in awe at the spectacles beyond him. He had never imagined seeing a place larger and more magnificent than Konoha. The afterworld was more than he could ever imagine as the foundations and most of the walls of every building were made of marble.

When they finally arrived at the large room where the commander had been patiently waiting, the two blondes sat in the chair just opposite of the large wooden, paper filled desk expecting the worse just as kyubi arrived shortly to accompany them.

End of Flashback

Back in real time, the commander, from his paper stacked desk, inspected the two blondes and the animal that had sat beside the younger blond.

Naruto peered over as he saw the stacks of paper that piled up on the wooden desk in front of him. Nostalgia ran through his head as he thought,

'Even in death there's a ton of paperwork. Now I understand what oji-san and baa-chan had to go through. Paperwork IS a fate worse than death.'

They were stiffened in their seats not knowing what to expect. As the old warrior glanced, he noticed a faint sweat sliding from the teen's cheek down to his neck as it glimmered in the afternoon sun. The two blondes were the only ones that seemed intimidated by his presence and his harsh and serious face.

With his face now softening, the wise old commander, now finished with his inspection of the trio and spoke to them with a modulated, but weighted voice.

"Good! Your just in time. Had you come any sooner, I would be pained to send all of you involved in the incident to clean the sewers again."

The trio then swallowed hard knowing he wasn't going to give mercy to anyone no matter who it was.

The old warrior then inwardly smirked knowing that he has their full attention and continued to question them.

"So, I've heard that you, Naruto Uzumaki, is the son of my newly appointed third division captain and a good friend of the newly appointed fifth."

Naruto then nodded.

'I guess there's nothing that escapes him'

Thought the young blonde as he sighed in defeat.

Seeing the young blonde's curt reply, the commander then continued.

"And I can see that the red ball of fur over there is the stongest of all the bijū, the Kyubi no Yoko, who coincidentally was sealed inside you from the Shiki Fujin. Quite the story there."

Said the commander as he turned his gaze towards the fox during his last sentence.The fox then nodded and began to speak while his nine tails swayed in the wind.

Do you always have to be so formal old friend? Anyway, since my vessel and I are already dead, I think it would be appropriate to send him to the academy. It's the only way he can live and find out more about Soul Society and the afterlife as he is already here in Sereitei. Who knows? He might make it to captain level.

The two blondes were shocked by this startling revelation. Both then turned their heads towards the fox and screamed,

WHAT?! YOU KNOW EACH OTHER!

The two blondes jawdropped as saucers replaced their eyes while they stared at the Kyubi.

Yes. Quite well actually. It was during a time when the spirit world was still closely in touch with the physical one. He was a young shinigami, while I was a young fox. We go way back than you can ever know. I can tell you more later on, but can we keep focused on the problem at hand?

They were both at a loss for words. The commander then interupted their small talk to answer the kyubi's previous question.

"I see the logic in it. It would be beneficial for the boy and us if he would attend the academy. But he will not be treated special just because he is the son of one of our captains nor because he is your vessel. We need all the help we can get at this time and it would be greatly appreciated if he would keep his mouth shut concerning this matter. At least for now until he graduates."

The older blonde crossed his arms and nodded in reply while the younger one scratched his head in confusion. With a foxy grin in his face, he then replied to the old warrior.

"I've never been good at school work, so I might not do really well, but I will give it my all."

The aging commander then made a weak smile and said to them.

"I'm sure you would do well. I do expect you to do so since my newly appointed captains do favor you and we are in need of good help these days. Speaking of which, Minato, please guide the boy to the shinigami academy for his training."

"It would be my pleasure."

The older blonde replied as he bowed in acknowledgement. Naruto however, still looked puzzled as he muttered,

"Ano…"

The wise old commander then looked at the young blonde expecting his question.

"Ano, where am I to be exact?"

The wise old commander then began to explain the fascinating new world he was in.

"You're in Soul Society. Sereitei to be exact.. this is the world were the souls of the dead go after they have died. And Sereitei is the place in Soul Society where the shingamis reside to guide the souls here in the afterlife."

"Really? I've heard and read of stories of the afterlife and the Shinigami. You don't look like how the pictures illustrated you."

Said the puzzled blonde. The sotaicho just chuckled as he then explained to the boy of the afterlife.

"Ohhh, those pictures. The one you're talking about is the one illustrated concerning the Shiki Fujin. That was the eleventh division captain Zaraki Kenpachi in disguise. I never would have guessed that there would be a human who would be capable of even creating such a technique. Even worse, making a contract with Kenpachi."

"What?!"

Shouted the confused Naruto. Obviously the young blonde had much to learn concerning the shinigami world. Minato sensed this and carefully elaborated to his son.

"Son, I'm sure you already know what the Shiki Fujin does. It turns out that when you make the contract and summon a shinigami, you end up summoning one of the shinigami captains. It also turns out, that depending on the order of the handseals, you end up summoning a shinigami proportional to the handseals. In Sarutobi's case, he summoned the most ruthless shinigami known as Zaraki Kenpachi while I on the other hand, ended up summoning him and his cute little fukutaicho, Yachiru, who so happens to have written the seal on your stomach."

Naruto swallowed hard before a vein throbbed on his head as he then said,

"So technically you didn't have to die if the shinigami you summoned didn't feel like it…"

Everyone nodded. Naruto just sighed as he sweatdropped and face faulted to the floor.

'Kuso, one of these days I'll find those two and beat the shit out of them.'

The angry Naruto began to rant that thought over and over again in his head until the sound of the sotaicho's cane tap the floor. When the wise old commander snatched their attention, he then cleared his throat as he said,

"Now that everything is settled, I have some paperwork I'd like to finish."

The sotaicho made his point clear as he started signing the stacks of paper that piled up on his desk.

As the two blonde's turned away, Naruto noticed that his constant companion was not walking with them. He then turned his head around and spotted the fox still sitting there. So he then asked of the kyubi.

"Kyubi, are you going with us or are you going to reminisce here?"

I think I'll reminisce here. Just call me when you need me gaki.

"Fine, suit yourself. Ja ne."

With a wave of goodbye, the two blondes then dissapeared from sight as they walked towards the direction of the shinigami academy. When the two were out of sight, the two old companions still within the office then made a sigh of relief. The old warrior began to lightly grasp his beard as he then asked of his old friend.

"Now that they're gone, can you explain to me the situation? I know very well that there is more than meets the eye here. Especially since the Shiki Fujin has been used three times within the past years. And how did you get here in the first place? Normally you should have gone to hell or the judgement seat in Kami's world. Yet here you are. I think its going to be quite an interesting story."

It sure is.

The fox replied while he went closer to the desk of his old friend to continue his story.

It happened when my vessel and his newly found mate fell into the Pheonix seal. As you know, the Cinder Pheonix chooses only the purest of hearts with the strongest love for a person as his sacrificial summon.

The fox then paused to catch his breath. It was fortunate for him that his friend understood quickly because of their long friendship together. The old warrior now was able to put two and two together as he continued the fox's story.

"And his sacrifice happens to be the young woman who loved your vessel very deeply. This is one tragic story, especially since Suzaku assimilated her soul for him to be reborn in our timeframe. And if I'm correct, your vessel…"

And just like clockwork, the Kyubi continued his sentence for him.

Killed himself in regret. Unfortunately, he did so with the soul disrupting weapon of one of the fallen soldiers of the Cinder Pheonix. Naturally, we instantly died because of the property of the weapon. His blood overflowed the sealing chamber and activated the failsafe mechanism which sent us in this world, though we are still bonded by the Shiki Fujin. How we are still bound despite the weapon's reiatsu disrupting abilities, I don't know. But I do have a hunch Kami's intervention is involved.

The sun no longer shone on the bald commander's cross scarred head as he rested his chin on his left fist. This revelation now cleared the previous questions but at the same time opened up more. Only Kami knows the adventure laid out for the young blonde.

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Meanwhile, the two blondes managed to reach the shinigami academy. It was like an old japanese castle except for the stone pillars that held several of the corners of the buildings in place. Naruto just swallowed hard as he began to march alongside his father as they received strange looks at them and noticed several of the young girls whispering in each other's ears, albeit about them, with blushes on their faces.

The students that the young blonde saw were nothing like that of Konoha as most of which were in the start of their adolescent years. They also wore uniforms. The young men wore blue and white hakamas while the young women wore a red and white one. Both genders however shared the white tabi and either zoras or getas as footwear.

Understanding his son's still culture shocked state, Minato then spoke to him as they walked towards the principal's office for enrollment.

"Don't worry to much. You'll get used to it in time. Just give your best. Don't hesitate to ask me any questions if you need help. To be honest you're actually lucky to go to the academy. Since me and Sarutobi were beyond the age limit, we had to be drafted based on our skills in a three week time period."

The only thing that ran through the troubled young blonde's mind was 'how on earth did they pass?' as they finally reached the office and entered to be interviewed. Suprisingly, all went well since he was the son of the recent third division captain. He was quickly enrolled in his first year in the academy.

With the interview done, and Naruto managed to pick up his uniform for his first day of class the following day.

They walked all the way outside towards the residential district of Sereitei as Minato explained what he could about Soul Society. Naruto listened intently of his father's explanation and learned of the social castes and system of government as well as life in Soul Society.

Though he listened well, somehow this bright new world wasn't so bright to the young blonde's heart as he remembered how he got here and showed a downcast look as his cerulean eyes became a deep void instead of an azure plain.

When they finally reached their residence, Naruto just smiled at the beautiful house that stood before him. It was like a small traditional japanese mansion. Complete with a dojo, hot spring, and several rooms along with a clean kitchen and a huge library as well as a storage room where several weapons were kept.

They were promptly greeted by Kushina as she glomped all over her now blushing husband.

"Hey there boys! How did everything go?"

Said the feisty red head as she threw herself all over Minato and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Everything went fine. We got him enrolled and the sotaicho has approved of it."

The older blonde said as he hugged his wife and kissed her on the lips in return. Naruto just stood there beside them beet red, as he witnessed the two cuddling like a young couple.

Her cuddling of her husband however, ended when a grumble erupted from their stomachs. Though embarassed by the sudden outburst. They just laughed and sat at the dinner table in the next room where another feast was prepared. Somehow Naruto would take a long time to get used to seeing this.

As they sat at the table they noticed Sarutobi was already there pulling on a piece of chicken with the kyubi fighting for it on the other end. It was very childish, but it was something that lightened up their hearts.

"Oi it's time to eat! Not the time to play tug-of-war. Itadakimasu!"

After her rant, she began to devour the food like there was no tomorrow. Naruto sweatdropped at the sight of his disfunctional family. Even his thoughts could clearly tell his emotions.

'otou-san loves eating ramen, okaa-san just loves to eat, and oji-san and kyubi love to eat the same food. No wonder they died early. Note to self: never eat out with all of them together.'

After some time of vanquishing the foe that was the feast, Minato was still bugged by the depressed look that his son had for some time now. He then curiously asked him.

"What's wrong son? You didn't seem very well a while ago. What's been bothering you?"

Naruto finally snapped up in attention to that question as he said,

"I'm fine otou-san. It's nothing really."

He said as he finished his bowl of ramen and started to drink the soup left. While he drank the soup, kyubi could not resist being silent any more and said.

Gaki, don't worry about that one. There are more out there that can be your mate.

Naruto comically spewed the soup he was drinking when he heard that statement as a thin coat of pink emerged from his face.

Minato just gazed in shock. Sarutobi accidentally choked on his sushi while Kushina 'miraculously' regained consciousness from her burned out state as she sat back up and started shouting.

"WHAT?! NARUTO HAD A GIRLFRIEND!!! WHO IS THIS GIRL? DO WE KNOW HER? IS SHE HERE IN SOUL SOCIETY?!"

Naruto panicked and began to plea out loud.

Naruto: NO IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! WE'RE JUST GOOD FRIENDS!

Ignoring the now panicked young blonde, Sarutobi, who managed to swallow the sushi, asked the kyubi.

"Which one was it? The Haruno or the Hyuga?"

The sly fox then answered him.

It was the Hyuga girl. Quite a foxy little one that one. Shy on the outisde, yet fiery inside. In fact, I confirmed it even more when she started seducing him and confessed to him her feelings for him. I'm proud to say you are my vessel. You've got excellent taste gaki.

Minato and Kushina rejoiced as they found out the good news while Sarutobi just cried in joy for the boy. Minato then ran over to his son as he got him in a headlock and said,

"I'm proud of you son! You got a girlfriend despite everything!!!"

Naruto was the only one who didn't feel elated or resisted his father's grip as he remembered what happened. Instead of showing any emotion at all, he just stood up and went to sleep in his new room overlooking the horizon.

The rest except for kyubi just stood confused at why he just suddenly left with an aura of sadness. Understanding the dead feelings still emanating in that dining room, kyubi then explained to them what had happened between Naruto and his eternally lost lover and the reason behind their dire situation during their last moments on earth.

The dining room died as a huge weight of sadness poured over their hearts. Kushina began to shed tears as she fully understood how miserable his life was from beginning to end. Not only did he live a horrible life from an incident that he never did, but his efforts were all in vain because love never at any point in his life lived long enough to save his dying soul. Karma's irony was no longer anything funny at this point.

"How could this have happened? Why did he have to go through such pain by himself? WHY?"

The sobbing mother said. It was a painful time for her because of the deep anguish that her son went through.

Minato began to curse himself because of his son's suffering. Naruto didn't have a life at all because of a crime he never commited.

"This was all my fault. If I hadn't, but there wasn't any other way! At the very least I had hoped he had found love. He received the love from Sarutobi and from what I heard, some of his close friends too. But overall, he never experienced true love and the romantic form of it because no one was truly there for him to love him and take good care for him all because of hatred towards the kyubi. All because of misunderstanding, all because of me, my only son died and never resurrected again."

"But that's not the sad part Minato."

Proclaimed the sandaime. His words got both of their attention. When they both looked at him still with watery eyes, he then explained his tragic point.

"What's really sad was the fact that he killed her with his own hands. All that guilt and regret are flowing through his mind and heart right now."

The wise old warrior said with a saddend tone.

"But it was an accident! He didn't kill her on purpose!"

The weeping mother retaliated.

Sarutobi, who was saddened by these turn of events, then spoke words that gripped the weeping two's hearts.

"No he did not. But he feels that he did."

His statements froze the weeping parents into wide-eyed shock. As both were stunned by this statement, the wise old warrior then continued.

"Think about it. He lived all his life blamed for something he never did. Because of that, he had deep sadness and hatred for a reason unkown to him until he found out the truth. But even when he knew they were wrong, no one was there to comfort him through all those hard times. Sadly, I wasn't able to truly be there for him and give him the love and appreciation he needed. That's why he worked hard to earn the people's respect and love because of his pure heart and he understood that…'in order to gain respect and be treated with it, he needed to earn it'. He was a strong boy and still is. But without love, he lived with a broken heart and a dead soul. He never felt love all his life, but he always gave it even if he himself dosen't understand. Plus, the seal on the kyubi was weakening so he slowly lost control."

"I see where this is going…he felt that he was slowly becoming a monster and always felt that a monster like him could never find love or be loved. He tried hard to reject that idea but all these emotions came crashing down on him when 'that' happened. KUSO! I HATE THIS!"

Minato said and smashed his head on the table as he shouted the last part.

'Such a tragic life' was what could be spelled out in the mind and heart of the wise old Sarutobi as he began to light his pipe until he lost the urge to smoke and quit permanently from all the sadness.

That room wasn't the only place that loomed of sadness. While the rest mourned for the young blonde downstairs, Naruto himself in his bed, shedded buckets of tears while grasping tightly on the pillow and lied down in the fetal position as he remembered the painful memories of her death replay in his head and his thoughts became darker than the sky.

'She loved me and I killed her…it was an accident…no, it was my fault! She was the only person who loved me for me…but it could never happen! …at least that's what I thought…maybe I wasn't meant to love…maybe I'm just like what they say I am…a demon…all those times she was there with me…all those times she comforted me when I needed comfort…all those times she fainted…those times she stuttered…and that time she confessed to me…I really do love her! …but I guess love never came…I was just too dense…but then again I never deserved it…I really am Konoha's number one knucklehead ninja…'

His heart was gripped in a batlle of sadness, anger and love as he remembered all those times with her and every moment of that fateful day when she died. It was just like the way Sasuke fell to the powerful illusion of the Mangekyo Sharingan as the sorrow kept tormenting him for hours until he finally cried himself to sleep.

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His tears ended only when dawn woke him. Realizing how early he had woken up, he took a quick bath and quickly changed into his school uniform and took a good look in the mirror before setting off. His gaze no longer showed the damp sight it once had last night as a piercing gaze replaced it with his cerulean eyes now becoming a bright azure flame as he dashed outside towards the highest peak in Sereitei, the execution chamber. When he finally stood there in that barren cliff overlooking Soul Society, a shadowy figure crept up behind him and began to speak.

You know gaki, you weren't the only one saddened by what happened. When I told them what really happened, they cried and cursed themselves for the tragedy of a life you had.

The deep voice said as the figure's nine tails swayed in the wind. He then stood beside Naruto and continued to speak seeing that the young blonde still listened.

It reminds of the time when I attacked Konoha. Madara Uchiha made a blood sacrifice summoning by using my mate and kits as the blood penalty. How he got a hold of them is beyond me. But when I found out, I let my rage take over and was blinded as I attacked whatever was in my way. I thank your father for what he did though I still hated being caged. I can relate to what your feeling at this moment. The feeling of helplessness, rage and regret as you let that image run through your mind. It hurts dosen't it?

Said the kyubi as he looked over the horizon. Naruto then closed his eyes as he began to reply to the kyubbi beside him.

"It does and there is nothing I can do about it. What's done is done. The past can't be reversed. But that doesn't mean our future can't. I know that no matter whose fault it was, either way she's gone and I have to accept it and move on so her memory dosen't go in vain."

His voice gained a serious tone as he opened his flaming azure eyes just in time to see the sunrise.

Both looked onward with sharpened gazes as they felt the other's feelings.

Gaki, you were crying yourself to sleep last night. What made you change like this?

The now solemn Kyubi asked. Naruto, with his heart ablazed, replied with determination spewing from his mouth.

"I never changed. That was until I remembered what she said to me before she died."

Flashback

"This is the reason you didn't want to share your secrets to me. I understand now. All those times you were hated, scorned, beaten and tortured and only you know what else happened. It all makes sense now. But, I really care about you Naruto. It doesn't matter to me if you were the kyubi or not. You are you. And I care about you that I would gladly die for you like this. Please don't regret anything anymore. Don't wallow in sadness. It's not like you to always be this sad. Go with Sakura-san. She can love you for you now. I'm just happy that I can see the real you. Because…"

She said to him as she brought his face closer to hers. Softly and lovingly, she then whispered to his lips, once more, the greatest words that would impact Naruto's life.

"Aishiteru… Naruto-kun"

With that said, she sealed it with a deep kiss. It was a fragile yet wonderful moment. Her tongue attempted to gain entry which he permitted and made the same move as well. Both were battling for dominance and massaging the tongue of the other for a whole minute as their lips locked.

Their hearts beat as one as their feelings reached each other for the first…and last time at that moment.

Her hands then dropped to the blood filled floor now lifeless.

She had finally passed on in peace signified by the smile on her face.

End of Flashback

An aura of silent determination ignited from both the master and the tenant. The young blonde then continued his speech.

"Her love was what saved me. I was already dead inside. Yet she recklessly loved a person like me. I realized that I loved her too and would gladly die for her just as she did when she rescued me from myself and gladly died for me. I loved her…because she loved me first."

Naruto closed his eyes once more. As he stood deep in thought, while replaying the events in his mind once more. The kyubi, being soul bound to Naruto, could feel what he felt as he replayed those images. While feeling Naruto's slowly reborn vigor he then asked him.

Gaki, you lost everything. Your entire life was a loss. Tell me, was a lifetime of loss worth it here?

The young blonde opened his eyes once more to reveal his flaming azure eyes that glowed even brighter than before. He was truly reborn in spirit from his baptism in blood and tears as his old life was melting away and he was maturing even more as a bright flame burned inside his heart.

With a fierce, but silent determination, he then boldy spoke,

"Yes, It was. I may have lost everything the moment she and we died, but last night, it was clear to me that what I lost there, is nothing compared to what I gained here---a new life that I have the power to change. My destiny is now my own, and I refuse to rot in sadness anymore. Her love freed me from that grave. All my life I have lived in sorrow, but now I will change that and NOTHING WILL STOP ME!!!!"

The blonde jinchuriki screamed as the sun flowed over his whisker marked face and flaming azure eyes. His new life now begun as the as the sun forged his heart and mind and they in return forged his resolve.

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I had a hard time doing this chapter. It was difficult for me to string this together because I needed to portray confusion yet resolve mixed with regret. I need suggestions on how to improve this chapter.

The next chapters will be his training. I'm not pairing Naruto with any Bleach cast. It is still strictly NaruHina. How it will be that way is my secret. I don't wan't to rush things so that I can build Naruto as a character and give an angle on his life in Sereitei. That way, things get clearer later on and less hassle when it comes to the…I won't say anymore. Just await the next chapters for it.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did crafting it!(seriously, this was my favorite chapter.)